Method for forming a packing container

ABSTRACT

Packing part for receiving a plurality of small objects, such as medicinal ampoules, made from a single piece of sheet material, such as semi-stiff cardboard, having a substantially U-shaped form with apertures in the middle part which are disposed between V-shaped ribs. The region of the side walls bounding the middle portion is bent in zig-zag form and the resulting bending edges are joined to the ribs. A method for producing such a packing part by simultaneously bending the side walls and forming the ribs. An apparatus for forming packing parts with bending flaps and punch heads.

United States Patent [191 Viigeli Nov. 11, 1975 METHOD FOR FORMING A PACKING CONTAINER [76] Inventor: Ernst Viigeli, Hermetschloostrasse 75, CH-8048 Zurich, Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 26, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 500,554

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 269,944, July 10, 1972, Pat. No.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 8, 1971 Switzerland 10083/71 [52] U.S. Cl 93/37 SP; 93/36 M; 93/37 R [51] Int. Cl. B31B 49/02; 3313 7/26 [58] Field of Search 93/37 R, 37 EC, 37 SP, 93/36 M, 36 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,635,512 4/1953 I-Iarker 93/37 R 2,815,700 12/1957 Bowman et al 93/37 SP 2,960,014 1 1/1960 Williamson 93/37 SP FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 726,881 2/1966 Canada 93/37 SP 998,149 7/1965 United Kingdom 93/37 R PIIITIHI') ExaminerRoy Lake Assistant Examiner-James F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or FirmW. G. Fasse [57] ABSTRACT Packing part for receiving a plurality of small objects, such as medicinal ampoules, made from a single piece of sheet material, such as semi-stiff cardboard, having a substantially U-shaped form with apertures in the middle part which are disposed between V-shaped ribs. The region of the side walls bounding the middle portion is bent in zig-zag form and the resulting bending edges are joined to the ribs.

A method for producing such a packing part by simultaneously bending the side walls and forming the ribs.

An apparatus for forming packing parts with bending flaps and punch heads.

4 Claims, 25 Drawing Figures US. Patent 'N0v.l1,1975 Sheet1of4 3,918,353

US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet2 0f4 3,918,353

US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet 3 of4 3,918,353

US. Patent Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet40f4 3,918,353

Fig. 27

fig. 25

METHOD FOR FORMING A PACKING CONTAINER This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 269,944, filed July 10, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,847,281.

This invention relates to a packing for receiving objects and, more specifically, for receiving medicinal ampoules. The invention also relates to a method of producing such packings and to an apparatus for carrying out this method.

Various types of boxes are known for the packing of small objects, such as ampoules. One such type of packing comprises a corrugated card glued to a flat base and the small objects are placed in the troughs of the corrugated card. This type of packing, however, has

'the disadvantage that it takes up a relatively large space when stored empty before use even if pairs of packings are inserted one in the other. Additionally, it is difficult to remove the small objects by means of the fingers since there is no access to the troughs from the flat base.

Other types of known packings have the disadvantage that they either require a substantially greater packing volume for the objects or they require more expensive material or complicated machines for their manufacture.

It is a first object of the invention to provide a packing which can be made from a flat piece of sheet material which may be stored in flat condition and which has a small volume in the erected condition with reference to the articles to be packed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means to get a rigid packing which is suitable for transporting fragile packed goods, such as medicinal glass ampoules.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is relatively simple in construction and which is highly efficient.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INVENTION I Briefly, a unitary packing for receiving objects, comprising two side walls, a middle portion extending between the side walls, and a plurality of substantially V- shaped ribs extending between the side wall, the ribs defining apertures therebetween for receiving objects to be packed, the edges between the side walls and middle portion being of a zig-zag shape and connecting with the ribs.

The method of producing such a packing comprises: forming a plurality of slots spaced apart from and parallel to one another in a blank; and subsequently bending the blank to form two side walls and a middle portion extending between the side walls, a plurality of substantially V-shaped ribs extending between the side walls and a plurality of apertures for receiving objects to be packed.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises: a comb having spaced apart supporting elements for supporting a blank; two pivotally mounted bending flaps; and a punch movable relative to the supporting elements and provided with a plurality of spaced apart punch heads which are capable of movement to a position between the supporting elements, the arrangement being such that, in operation, pivotal movement of the bending flaps takes place simultaneously with the movement of the punch head.

The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank of a packing according to the present invention, slots and bending lines being indicated;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the blank of FIG. 1 during a bending operation;

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the packing after completion of the bending operation of the blank of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of material parts of the blank of FIG. 1 before the bending operation;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG. 4 of the blank after the bending operation;

FIG. 6 is a section of the packing of FIG. 3 taken on the line VII VII of FIG. 8;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the packing of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the packing of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of another embodiment of a packing according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a further embodiment of a packing according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a yet further embodiment of a packing according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a punch forming part of an apparatus for making a packing according to the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of bending flaps of the apparatus;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a blank for a packing according to the present invention and provided with slots;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a comb of the apparatus;

FIG. 16 is a side view of the apparatus before a bending operation is performed on the blank;

FIG. 17 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG. 16 after completion of the bending operation;

FIG. 18 is a section of a packing held together by tongs;

FIGS. 19 and 20 show further embodiments of packings according to the present invention; and

FIGS. 21 to 25 illustrate another embodiment of a packing according to the present invention.

In the drawings, like parts have been designated by the same reference numerals.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a blank 1 for a packing or packing part according to the present invention. The blank 1 preferably consists of a simi-stiff cardboard of a thickness of substantially between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. The blank 1 is provided with a plurality of slots 2 which are parallel to one another and extend transversely through the middle portion of the blank 1. The slots 2 are made by a cutting operation which merely cuts the blank and does not remove any part of it. However, the slots may be made by a stamping operation which produces a relatively narrow cutout in the blank. The blank 1 is then bent into a substantially U-shape so that a pair of side walls 3 are formed with a middle portion 4 being situated therebetween. This bending operation produces two imagined folds or bending lines 5 which are shown as broken lines in FIG. 1. These bending lines 5, which are parallel to one another, extend at right angles to the slots 2. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the length of each slot is greater than the distance between the two bending lines 5. While the side walls 3 are being formed by the bending operation, the middle portion 4 is also simultaneously shaped so that a plurality of V-shaped ribs 6 are formed and the slits 2 open out to form respective apertures 7. The apertures are hexagonal in plan and their circumference is equal to twice the length of the slots. The ribs 6 are formed without tearing or crumpling the blank and solely by the bending operation already described.

The mechanics of the bending operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. The ribs 6 widen in the downward direction (as seen in FIG. 3) that is to say towards the interior of the packing. Each rib has a ridge part or ridge line 8 which extends transversely to the bending lines 5 and which extends as straight lines between the two side walls 3, as can be seen in FIG. 3. It can also be seen in FIG. 3 that the bending lines 5 extend through the ends of the ridge lines 8 in the complete packing. Each side wall 3 has an upper boundary edge 9 which is of a zig-zag configuration and which is formed in a zone of the blank between the line joining the ends of the slots 2 and the respective bending line 5. The boundary edges 9 are not cut edges but bent edges.

The bending operation can best be followed by reference to the areas indicated by dots and hatching in FIGS. 1 to 5. In the blank 1 (FIG. 1) corner points A, B. C. D form a trapezium, the comer points A and D lying at the end of a slot 2 and the points B and C lying at the end of a ridge line 8. Points E and F are formed at the points of intersection of the slot with the bending line 5. The trapezium is divided into two triangles 10 (indicated by hatching) and a rectangle 12 (indicated by dots) which will subsequently form a wall of a rib. If the blank 1 is bent so that the two side walls 3 are parallel to each other, it will be appreciated that the corner points A and D will become spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the distance between the two side walls. This distance also corresponds to the distance between the comer points B and C. Since before the bending operation a distance between the comer points A and D was greater than the distance between the corner points B and C, this has the consequence that, after the bending operation, the edges of the triangles l0 and of the rectangle 12 are folded in such a manner that together with the adjacent rectangle 12 they form a rib 6, the slot 2 thereby being widened out to form the aperture 7.

As can be seen from FIGS. 4 and 5, the comer points A and D each move through an angle a during the bending operation, and at the same time the rectangle 12 is turned through an angle 3. Consequently, no weakened portion is formed between the slots 2 as, for example, would be the case if apertures were stamped from the blank. This means that the ribs 6 are firmly connected to the material of the side walls 3 and accordingly are very strong. Because of the V-shaped form of the rib 6, great compressive or buckling strength is obtained and this is very desirable in order to obtain a stable packing thickness and good resistance of the packing to compressive loads. Because of the triangles 10 which are folded during the bending operation, the apreture 7 can resiliently adapt to different diameters of tolerances in the diameter of the objects, for example glass ampoules, inserted therein. Thus, the apertures are capable of elastically or resiliently gripping objects therein.

Depending on the desired conditions of use, the angle y (FIG. 6) between the walls 12 of each rib 6 may be selected difierently. In one extreme case the two walls may extend practically parallel to one another so that the triangles 10 are almost parallel to the side walls 3. In this case each rib 6 is effectively a double thickness of the material of the blank.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a packing according to the present invention. In this embodiment the apertures 7 are spaced apart by a relatively large distance to facilitate gripping of objects inserted into the apertures by the fingers. The width of the ribs is thus increased and the ridge line is replaced by a relatively wide ridge surface 14. The remainder of the construction of this packing corresponds to that of the previously described embodiment.

Another embodiment of a packing according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 10. This embodiment has alternate wide and narrow apertures l6, 17 for use when the objects to be packed are of unequal width or have different diameters.

FIG. 11 shows a further packing according to the present invention where apertures 18 increase in size progressively. Unlike the previous embodiments, the side walls 3 in this embodiment are not parallel to one another but are divergent.

In FIG. 19 a yet further packing according to the present invention is shown. This packing has additional U-shaped inteermediate supports 21, 22 of the same construction as described in FIGS. 1 to 7 so that multiple support is provided over the entire length of objects.

The packing according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 20 is intended for objects the diameter of which varies in the axial direction, e.g. objects which are conical or stepped in shape. In this embodiment two packings 24, 25 are disposed one in the other, the upper packing having large apertures 26 and the lower packing having small apertures 27.

FIGS. 12 to 17 illustrate an apparatus for making the packing of FIG. 3. A punch 30 has a plurality of punch heads 31, each of which has a rounded lower end. Between the punch heads 31 is a gap 32 in which a stripper 33 or release mechanism is disposed for the purpose of stripping the packing from the punch 30 after the bending operation has been performed. Two pins 34 project laterally from the punch 30 and on them connecting rods 47 are pivotally mounted. The apparatus includes two bending flaps 36, 37 (FIG. 13) which are mounted on fixed front and rear side walls (not shown) for pivotal movement about respective pivot pins 35. A comb 42, shown in FIG. 15, is connected to the side walls. The flaps 36, 37 pivot about axes 38, 39

j which coincide with the bending lines 5 of the packing.

A pin 40, spaced apart from the respective pivot pins 35, is provided on each flap. The pins 40 cooperate with the connecting rods 47 to produce the required stroke together with the punch 30.

The comb 42 is situated beneath the punch 30 and has a plurality of narrow spaced apart support plates 43 extending vertically upwardly therefrom. The width of the support plates 43 corresponds to the distance between the two side walls 3 of the packing. The blank 1, in which the slots 2 have previously been cut, is placed on the end faces 45 of the support plates 43 of the comb 42 in such a manner that the slots come to lie exactly in the centre between the support plates 43, that is to say, the support plates 43 are in register with the ridge lines 8 to be formed. The position of the blank, relative to the comb 42, is determined by stop means.

Thus, the spacing of the support plates 43 corresponds to that of the slots 2. The arrangement of the comb 42 and punch 30 in relation to one another is such that the support plates 43 enter the slots 32 in the punch when the latter moves downwards. v

During the bending operation, all the surfaces 'of the blank 1 move simultaneously, but these movements take place with different angular velocities. Only the ridge lines 8 remain stationary. n

After the blank 1 has been placed on the end faces 45 of the support plates 43, the punch 30 and the bending flaps 36, 37 are brought into the starting position shown in FIG. 16. The bending flaps 36, 37 are now pivoted through 90 about the pivot pins 35 in the direction of arrows I-I so that they assume alower position as shown in. FIG. 17 and at the same time the punch 30 is moved towards the blank 1 and the punch heads 31 penetrated the slots 2 in the blank 1, thereby effecting defonnation and forming the ribs 6. During the bending operation the support plates 43 support the blank 1. During the bending operation, however, the two triangles (FIGS. 1 to 5) should be neither deformed nor crushed and, in addition, no tears should be made in the material, in order to retain the greatest possible strength and neat appearance to the finished packing. This makes it necessary for a predetermined relationship to be maintained between the angular velocities of the movement of the side walls 3 during the bending operation. During the bending operation the corner point A is turned through the angle a about the bending line 5 while at the same time the rectangle 12 is turned through the angle B about the ridge line 8. Since the distance between points A and F and points D and E must, at the same time, remain unchanged throughout the entire bending operation if the material is not to be deformed or crushed or if tears are not to be made, the relationship:

sin a tan 3/2 must be satisfied.

The heads 31 are so shaped that this relationship is satisfied. By virtue of the fact that the connecting rods 37 are between the punch 30 and the bending flaps 36,

37, it is, in addition, ensured that after the pivotal movement of the bending flaps the punch 30 is brought to rest when the flaps are in their lower position.

This apparatus has the advantage that the bending lines 9 do not need to be pre-grooved, weakened or otherwise previously deformed, so that the packing can be made in a single bending operation in which two bending processes, taking place simultaneously, are adapted to one another in such a manner that at all times during the bending operation accurate predetermined shaping of the blank is achieved without the need of heating the blank.

FIGS. to illustrate another embodiment of a packing 60 according to the present invention. This packing, shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 in the erected position, is made from a rectangular cardboard blank 1 shown in FIG. 21. U-shaped cut-outs 50, 51 are made in the blank 1 and by subsequent bending tongs 52, 53 are fonned. Bending edges 54, 55, 56 which extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the blank and which are parallel to one another are shown in dotted lines. Bending grooves may be formed in the blank at the bending edges if desired during cutting the slots 2.

y In a first bending operation as shown in FIG. 22 two oppositelydirected U-shaped parts are bent out of the flap blank shown in H621 and these can be imagined as being produced-by adding to a packing of the kind illustrated in FIG. 3 another, identical packing which, however, is turned through 180about a longitudinal axis. Appliedto the blank 1, this means that the ribs 6 are formed in opposite directions. The shape obtainedafter this bending operation is illustrated in FIG.

The part 58 is then bent through 180- about the bending edge 54 so that it comes to'lie in the cavity of the part 59. After this bending operation, the blank is in the condition illustrated in FIG. 23. "The blank is'then bent 180 aboutthe bending edge 55 and -thereupon the 'remainder of' the blank is bent over 90 about the bending edge 56, so that finally the packing'60 illustrated'in FIG. 24 is-obtain'ed The packing has now two rows of ribs, the ribsof each row being in register one "above the other.

In orderv to enable the packing shown in- FIG. 24 to hold together without additional 'me'anssuch asad- 'hesive" or the"lik,' the tongs 52 are used. The tongs 53 have no actual holding function, but'rn'erel-y serve-"to enable the tongs 52 to be pushed into the apertures 7, in the manner shown in FIG. 18. These tongs 52 are pushed by mechanically operated fingers into the respective apertures 7 between two ribs 6 and are thereupon bent downwards by a punch moved in the direction of the arrow P, so that they are locked between two adjacent ribs and thus hold the packing together.

In certain cases it is possible to dispense with the bending operation of the tongs 52 by a punch, this bending operation being performed by the ampoules or other objects as they are inserted into the apertures 7.

It will be appreciated that the packing described will receive objects, for example, the necks of ampoules in such a manner that the objects can effectively gripped by the fingers for the purposes of extraction. The minimum distance between two objects is very slight and yet there is no weakened portion of the packing between the objects. Moreover, insertion of the objects is facilitated by the ribs which are V-shaped and because of their resiliency, they protect the ampoules against drip out and are adapted to tolerate differences in the size of the objects. Furthermore, the packings are relatively stiff so that even when they retain objects which are fragile they can be satisfactorily stacked. Moreover, the manufacture of the packings is effected with a minimum of working operation, and the apparatus required for this purpose is relatively simple.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the inventive concept.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a packing container for receiving small objects, comprising cutting a row of a plurality of parallel spaced apart slots in a sheet material, whereby the ends of said slots are aligned, then bending said sheet material at a first angular velocity along a pair of first spaced apart parallel lines which extend perpendicular to said slots, to form a substantially U- shaped structure with the bent portions of the sheet material forming a pair of parallel side walls, whereby said material is bent through an angle a about each of said parallel first lines, and simultaneously bending a plurality of V-shaped ribs formed by the sheet material between said slots along second lines parallel to and interrnediate said slots, at a second angular velocity different than said first angular velocity, whereby material at each side of said second lines is bent through an angle [3 about the respective second lines, said first and second velocities being selected to maintain constant the relationship:

sine a tangent 8/2 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said bending about said first and second lines comprises bending sheet material about lines thereon which do not have reduced thickness with respect to the remainder of said sheet material.

3. A method for forming a packing container for receiving small objects, comprising cutting first and second rows of a plurality of parallel, spaced apart slots in sheet material, whereby the ends of said slots in each row are aligned and said rows are parallel and spaced apart, then bending said sheet material at a first angular velocity along a pair of first spaced apart parallel lines extending through and perpendicular to the slots of each of said rows to form a pair of parallel U-shaped portions in said sheet material with the bent portions of the sheet material forming a pair of parallel side walls adjacent each row of slots, the U-shaped portions extending in opposite directions, whereby said material is bent through an angle a about each of said parallel first lines, simultaneously bending a plurality of V-shaped ribs in each of said rows formed by the sheet material between the slots of the rows and along second lines parallel to and intermediate the respective slots, at a second angular velocity different than said first angular velocity, whereby material at each side of said second lines is bent through an angle B about the respective second line, said first and second velocities being selected to maintain constant the relationship:

sine a tangent [3/2 rial around the open ends of said U-shaped portions. 

1. A method for forming a packing container for receiving small objects, comprising cutting a row of a plurality of parallel spaced apart slots in a sheet material, whereby the ends of said slots are aligned, then bending said sheet material at a first angular velocity along a pair of first spaced apart parallel lines which extend perpendicular to said slots, to form a substantially U-shaped structure with the bent portions of the sheet material forming a pair of parallel side walls, whereby said material is bent through an angle Alpha about each of said parallel first lines, and simultaneously bending a plurality of V-shaped ribs formed by the sheet material between said slots along second lines parallel to and intermediate said slots, at a second angular velocity different than said first angular velocity, whereby material at each side of said second lines is bent through an angle Beta about the respective second lines, said first and second velocities being selected to maintain constant the relationship: sine Alpha tangent Beta /2
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said bending about said first and second lines comprises bending sheet material about lines thereon which do not have reduced thickness with respect to the remainder of said sheet material.
 3. A method for forming a packing container for receiving small objects, comprising cutting first and second rows of a plurality of parallel, spaced apart slots in sheet material, whereby the ends of said slots in each row are aligned and said rows are parallel and spaced apart, then bending said sheet material at a first angular velocity along a pair of first spaced apart parallel lines extending through and perpendicular to the slots of each of said rows to form a pair of parallel U-shaped portions in said sheet material with the bent portions of the sheet material forming a pair of parallel side walls adjacent each row of slots, the U-shaped portions extending in opposite directions, whereby said material is bent through an angle Alpha about each of said parallel first lines, simultaneously bending a plurality of V-shaped ribs in each of said rows formed by the sheet material between the slots of the rows and along second lines parallel to and intermediate the respective slots, at a second angular velocity different than said first angular velocity, whereby material at each side of said second lines is bent through an angle Beta about the respective second line, said first and second velocities being selected to maintain constant the relationship: sine Alpha tangent Beta /2 and then bending said sheet material along a third line parallel to and intermediate said rows to insert one of said U-shaped portions into the other with the apertures formed by the slots in the two rows being aligned one above the other.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising bending said sheet material about a pair of further spaced apart lines parallel to said rows to wind said sheet material around the open ends of said U-shaped portions. 